Dragon Redeemed

by Hopkins, Linda K.

  It was dark when he started back to the cave, and he was still a long way off when he caught the scent of a human. Not the same scent as before – a different human. He growled his displeasure at having his sanctuary invaded once more, and the growl grew louder when he caught a second scent. The human was not alone, but had been brought to his cave by another dragon. It only took an instant for him to identify the golden dragon he had seen earlier today, the one Aaron called Zach.

  He shot into the cave and turned to face the dragon with a stream of flame.

  “Human go,” he roared. The dragon was in his human form, which angered Drægón even further.

  “You care for this human,” Zach said.

  Drægón turned to look at her with a snarl. She was small and puny, with unruly hair that curled around her face and wide eyes that reminded him of the sky. She watched him cautiously, fear leaking from her pores.

  “Xavier,” she started, then flinched away as Drægón snarled. A stream of flame escaped his mouth, and in a moment Zach was covering her with his body, protecting her from the flames that rolled over them. Zach’s clothes burned away, and his naked flesh touched the girl, making Drægón’s anger burn higher. He swiped Zach with his claw, sending him flying across the cave. He transformed in midair, the light of his change flashing into the shadows.

  “Go!” Drægón roared.

  Zach jumped back towards the girl, and Drægón realized he meant to take her. He could not allow that, although he would not have been able to explain why.

  “Just you,” he roared.

  “I’m not leaving her here.”

  Drægón stared at Zach in shock, then finding the tie between them, pulled it tight. Zach stumbled back, his eyes wide as he stared at Drægón.

  “Go,” Drægón said again.

  “No,” he gasped. Drægón yanked the cord even tighter, and Zach shot the girl an apologetic look then turned and flew out of the cave.

  Chapter 34

  Evelyn stared in shock at the white dragon glaring down at her. Not only was he absolutely enormous, there was nothing about him whatsoever that reminded her of Xavier. In fact, if Zach hadn’t told her that this was her husband, she would not have believed it. The dragon watched her for a moment, then turned away and settled down right in the center of a fire blazing in the middle of the cave. He rubbed his stomach over the glowing embers, making a small dent, then lay down his head and went to sleep.

  From the moment Evelyn had learnt that Xavier was alive, she had begged Zach, Lydia – anyone – to take her to him, and when Zach let it slip that he had seen him that morning, she had pleaded with him until he finally relented, certain that when Xavier saw her, he would know who she was. Neither of them had anticipated that he would demand she stay while Zach left. And seeing him now, it was painfully obvious that the dragon did not recognize her at all. She realized how foolish she had been – if Xavier didn’t remember the people he had loved his whole life, why would he remember her after just a few short months?

  She slid down the wall and sat down on the hard, cold floor of the cave, staring at the beast before her. His neck was stretched forward, the tip of his snout resting against a burning log while his tail curled around his huge body. Long horns curved from the top of his head, and spikes ran along the length of his neck. His wings were open slightly and they glimmered in the firelight.

  She glanced around the cave, wondering at the possibility of escape. How long would it take for the dragon to realize she was no longer there? Would he come and find her? It was already growing dark, and she realized the futility of her thoughts. There was no point in escaping a dragon only to tumble down a hill in the dark.

  As the hours passed, her eyes grew heavy. The rock wall she was leaning against was hard and uncomfortable, and with a shiver she lay down and rested her head on the ground. She curled her arms around herself, trying to maintain some warmth, but it was impossible. She looked at the dragon lying in the glowing embers, then slowly, fearful of waking the monster, inched her way closer. The air grew warmer the nearer she drew, until finally she stopped and curled into a fetal position, laying her head on her arm to sleep.

  Evelyn woke the next morning to find the dragon glaring at her again, his eyes blazing. She sat up slowly and ran her fingers through her hair, wincing at the mass of snarls and tangles her curls had been reduced to. The dragon watched intently.

  “Here. You,” he snarled.

  “You wouldn’t let Zach take me, remember?” she said. The dragon cocked his head as he considered her words.

  “Why come?” he finally said.

  “I’m your wife,” she said.

  He leapt towards her and she scrambled to her feet. “Wife?” he growled. He lowered his head and sniffed her. “No.”

  “Yes. We are married. And …” The word caught in her throat. “You saved me. Gave your life for me.”

  He cocked his head. “Not mate.”

  “Well, no, we aren’t mated. At least, we never shared blood.”

  “Blood?”

  “That’s right.”

  He turned away and headed back to his bed.

  “Can I go?” she whispered.

  He swung his head back to her. “No.”

  “Why? What do you want with me?”

  He cocked his head again.

  “Stay. Go hunt.”

  Evelyn watched as he launched himself outside and disappeared into the distance, then followed into the daylight. She looked out over the vista. With the dragon gone she had a chance to escape. The cave was deeper into the hills than the battle had been, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to find her way back to the city. She started walking along the ledge, then paused. The dragon had wanted her to stay. If he returned before she reached safety, would he hunt her down and kill her? She was still considering this when the beating of wings made her scurry back – but it was a golden dragon that landed beside her, a hessian sack gripped in his talons.

  “Evelyn, are you all right?” She recognized Aaron’s voice with a sigh of relief. “Zach told me what happened. I’m here to take you home.”

  “Xavier told me to stay,” she said.

  “He’ll be gone for a while. I saw him leave to go hunting.”

  “Will he know you’re the one who took me?” she asked as she went to his side.

  “Yes. He’ll smell my scent. He probably already knows I’m here, but he wouldn’t expect me to disregard his desires.”

  “What will he do when he realizes I’m gone?”

  “He’ll probably want to fight me.”

  “What?” she said. “No, you cannot fight. One of you might get hurt! I must find my own way out of here. Besides, he wanted me to stay. Maybe that means something.”

  “Evelyn –”

  “This is why you wanted me to leave Drake House, isn’t it? You didn’t want me to know about Xavier.”

  “He’s changed, Evelyn. He may never be the same again. I didn’t want you to suffer any further.”

  “Do you think he will hurt me?”

  Aaron regarded her thoughtfully. “No. He probably isn’t happy that you’re here, however.”

  “But he won’t kill me?”

  “No. He doesn’t remember any of us, though. And he may never remember.”

  “You don’t know that for certain. And if there’s even the slightest chance I can reach him, then I should try.”

  “Do you really want to lose him twice?”

  Evelyn turned to look at the hills. “He’s my husband, Aaron, even if we aren’t mates. I promised to love him no matter what happens.”

  Aaron was silent for a moment. “I wish things were different,” he finally said. “You and Xavier would have been fine mates. Are you certain you want to stay?”

  She gave a nervous laugh. “Probably not. But it is what I must do. Until there is no hope remaining, I must do this.”

  “Very well,” he sighed. “Lydia thought there was a chance you might say that,
so she packed some of your belongings.” He set the bag against the wall of the cave. “I will take you from here as soon as you’re ready to leave,” he promised. He gave her another long look, then turned and soared into the air.

  She opened the bag, and gave a silent word of thanks for Lydia’s thoughtfulness. She had packed not only a change of clothes but two books, a roll of parchment, paints and two blankets. She laid one of the blankets on the floor, then retrieved the parchment and a sketching pencil.

  By the time Xavier returned, she had sketched the image of a golden dragon soaring through the air and was adding the hills in the background. He stopped beside her.

  “What that?” he asked.

  “I’m drawing.”

  He leaned down and sniffed the parchment, his huge head just inches from hers. “Show me,” he demanded.

  “It isn’t finished yet.”

  He drew back with a frown. “Show me now.”

  She lifted the sheet and turned it so he could see. He stared at it for a long moment. “Not me.”

  She lowered the sheet. It had been Aaron soaring through the air that had inspired the picture. “No,” she said.

  “Draw me.” He met her startled gaze. “Only me.”

  “I’ll draw you when this one is done.”

  He snatched the sketch from her hand and within a moment it was being consumed by flames. She watched as it disintegrated into nothing, then lifted her gaze to his. “I haven’t seen you flying.”

  “Show you.”

  Turning towards the entrance, he flung himself into the air. He disappeared between the clouds for a moment, then dropped lower and headed towards a patch of blue sky. His wings were spread wide, sparkling in the sunlight while his tail streamed out behind him. He turned and soared past her then vanished once more into the clouds. Aaron had taken her breath away, but this huge white beast showing off before her was more magnificent than anything she had ever seen. Not in her wildest dreams had she thought that the man who had taken her to bed and held her in his arms could be such a terrifyingly beautiful beast. He circled around once more, then swooped past her as he flew into the cave, landing gracefully on the floor.

  “Draw me,” he ordered, settling once more in the embers. He sighed contentedly and shifted himself so his huge belly bulged across the floor as he closed his eyes.

  “You must have had a big meal,” she said.

  He opened one eye and looked at her. “Big,” he agreed.

  “What was it?”

  He closed his eye again and stayed silent.

  “Xavier?” she asked softly.

  He leapt from the bed and landed a few feet from her. “Not my name,” he snarled. “Drægón.”

  He turned and waddled back to his bed, putting his back to her, and wrapped his tail around his huge frame. She watched for a moment, then sat down and smoothed out another sheet of parchment. Her hand flew across the page as long lines formed his wings and sharp barbs traced his tail. She added some mountains, then smiled with satisfaction. Looking up, she was startled to see that the dragon was watching her with blazing eyes.

  “See it,” he said.

  “It’s not quite done. I need to add some color.”

  She reached into the bag Aaron had brought and withdrew her paints.

  “Color?”

  “Yes, with paints.” She held up one of the jars. He leaned closer and sniffed, and she opened the jar.

  “Paints?”

  “Yes. These are paints. Look.” She dipped a brush into the jar and carefully touched it to the parchment. The dragon pulled away with a look of astonishment.

  “Color,” he said. “I hunt.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “Again? Surely you don’t need to hunt again so soon.”

  “For you,” he said gruffly. As he turned away and flew from the cave without another word, she watched in surprise, then with a smile began mixing her paints.

  Chapter 35

  Drægón soared away from the cave, his eyes searching between the bare branches of trees for a small animal that the human could eat. He was curious about her, but he couldn’t say why. A movement above him caught his eye and he looked up to see an eagle soaring high in the sky. He plunged after it, rejoicing in the feel of the wind rushing over his scales and wings. He tipped them slightly, changing direction and catching a wind current which took him even higher, further away from the cave.

  Circling with the currents, he chased the eagle as it soared away, quickly gaining on the bird. Their gazes met for a moment, two predators sizing each other up, before the eagle changed direction, wings outstretched, and glided away. Drægón circled around lazily, and his eye caught his tail. It was splendid, fiercely armed and as thick as a tree trunk; he was magnificent, a powerful predator. He turned his snout downward and dived towards the earth, then veered up just before he crashed into the side of a hill. His nose caught the scent of a deer and he swiveled towards it, driven by instinct, but his belly was full and he had no need to eat. A sparkle of light caught his eye and he twisted around to see a lake, the water shining in the sun. He soared towards it and dived in, laughing as the fish fled from his massive presence.

  The sun was starting to sink as he turned towards his cave; as he neared it he caught the scent of a human and frowned. How dare such a puny creature invade his lair! He gathered his wings closer and swept into the cave, facing the human as soon as he landed. It was a female, and she scrambled to her feet and stared at him wide-eyed. Her scent tickled his nostrils, and he gathered his brows – there was something about this human he needed to remember, but he didn’t know what it was. He dropped to his haunches and watched her cautiously, flicking out his tongue as he tasted the air. He grimaced in distaste as something unfamiliar played with his tastebuds: paint. The word came to him now as he quickly closed his mouth.

  The female held something clasped against her chest; he looked at it, searching for a word to communicate what he wanted.

  “See,” he finally said.

  The human lowered her arms and turned a sheet of paper towards him. He cocked his head as he studied it. A dragon soared across the page, huge, beautiful and sparkling white. Him, he realized. He leaned closer, taking in the artistic way she had captured his power – he seemed to be flying right off the page.

  He sat back down again, pleased with what he saw.

  “Did you bring me something to eat?” the female asked.

  He frowned. “Eat?”

  “You were going to hunt for me.” Her voice was soft, cautious.

  A faint recollection tugged at his mind. He was going to find something for the female while she colored the drawing, but he had been sidetracked by the eagle.

  “Stay,” he commanded, heading outside once more. He caught a rabbit a short distance from the cave and returned with the prize, which he held out to her. She looked at it uncertainly.

  “I have nothing to skin it,” she said.

  “Skin?”

  “Yes. Remove the fur.”

  “You – fur no?”

  “No.”

  He thought about that a moment. Was there something wrong with this human that she couldn’t handle the fur? Or maybe her puny stomach couldn’t digest it. Clearly she wasn’t equipped to rip it apart. He snorted, and sparks lit the air. It was no wonder humans didn’t live in the hills – they wouldn’t survive very long. Using a talon he ripped open the rabbit’s stomach, then he held it back out to her and she lifted an eyebrow.

  “I cannot eat it raw,” she said.

  It took a moment for him to understand, but when he did he laughed outright, filling the cave with flames. He took back the offering and pulled out the innards of the rabbit, stuffing them in his mouth when she shook her head to indicate that she didn’t want them, then pulled off a chunk of flesh and seared it with his breath. He passed it to her, and finally she was satisfied. She pulled off a piece with her small, flat teeth and chewed slowly, then tore off another mouthful. He wa
tched as she ate the remaining piece, and when she was done, he swallowed what remained.

  His bed of flames had completely gone out, and he brushed past her to go find some more kindling, returning with two small trees. He laid them down carefully, breaking some of the branches with his talons until they lay flat, then breathed out a stream of fire and set it alight. In a matter of moments it was a furnace, and he settled himself down in the middle with a sigh of contentment. He turned and was surprised to see that the female was still there, staring at him. She watched him for a moment, then bent down to take something from the bag that lay against the wall. It was fairly small and uniform in shape. Some symbols were etched on one side.

  “Should I read to you?” the female asked.

  He wasn’t certain what she meant, but he waved a claw, indicating for her to continue. He watched in surprise as she opened the thing she held then settled against the wall and began to tell a story. It wasn’t very good, since it was all about humans who thought very highly of themselves, but the sound of her voice was soothing, and when she paused he commanded her with a growl to continue. He fell asleep to the sound of her voice and the flames tickling his hide.

  The first thing Drægón noticed when he awoke, before he even opened his eyes, was the scent of a female human. His eyes sprang open as he searched for the intruder, but before he could leap to his feet the memory of her soothing voice stirred in his mind, and he relaxed once more. The female was lying on the ground with a large square covering her frame, and snagging it with his claw, he pulled it away. He wanted to see her puny form again, not the thing covering her. She stirred and opened her eyes to look at him. The fear that had clung to her was gone, but he checked the air with his tongue, tasting her sleepy scent.